Covered delivery-wagon



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. T. MOLAUGHLIN.

COVERED DELIVERY WAGON.

Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. T. MOLAUGHLIN. COVERED DELIVERYWAGON.

\ Patented Nov. 30

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. MGLAUGHLIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COVERED DELlVERY-WAGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,365, dated November 30, 1886.

Application filed April 12, 1886.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. FIOLAUGHLIN, a citizen of the United States, residingin Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful-Improvement in Covered Delivery-Wagons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in covered wagorrbodies, commonly used for delivering groceries and other merchandise. Delivery-wagons have heretofore usuallybeen made with open rear ends closed by a canvas curtain, which when notin use is tied or buckled up in a roll, much the same as a buggycurtain. These cloth or canvas curtains are not very convenient to handle, especially when Wet; but the principal objection to their practical use in delivery-wagons arises from the fact that they afford no adequate security or protection to the contents of the wagon, especially against depredation. Delivery-wagons used for carrying more valuable parcels-as, for example,those used by express companies have for these reasons generally been provided with hinged doors,so that they may be securely closed. Great difficulty, however, is experienced in the use of hinged doors on deliverywagons, owing to the peculiar liability of their being broken from their hinges on such wagons, and, in addition to this, it frequently happens that the wagon is backed up in such position against a step, wall, or building that these hinged doors cannot be conveniently opened or closed; and when hinged doors are employed their safety requires that they always be kept closed when the wagon is in motion, which is often a matter of great inconvenience, as sometimes it is desirable to allow part of the load to project more or less outside at the rear of thewagon.

It is the object of my invention to provide a covered body for delivery-wagons of a simple, durable, and cheap construction, which may be easily and quickly opened and closed,which when closed will be secure, and which may be used either closed or with an open rear end.

To this end my invention consists, in connection with a delivery-wagon body and its cover, of a vertically-sliding flexible wood-slat door in the rear end of said wagon body and cover, mounted in guide-grooves on the rear end posts or frame-pieces of the cover; and it Serial No. 198,551. (No model.)

also consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of devices herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a central longitudinal section of a delivery-wagon embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing the de vice for holding the vertically-sliding flexible wood-slat door in different positions, and Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 4.

In said drawings, A represents the body of a delivery-wagon; A, its hinged tail-board, and 13 its top or cover. The rear end upright posts or frame-pieces, B, of this cover are rabbeted or provided with offsets b and strips 1;, preferably of iron, secured to the outer faces of said posts by screws or otherwise, thus forming guideways or grooves b for the vertically-sliding flexible wood-slat door 0. The flexible door 0 is of the ordinary construction, and consists of wood slats secured by nails, screws, or otherwise to a sheet of drilling or canvas, 0. This door is provided with a heavy base-slat, c, to carry the locking and holding devices 0 c.

D is a roller near the top of the posts B, over which the flexible door 0 turns when it is raised or pushed up.

E E are horizontal supports or guides secured to the upright fra1ne-pieces B of the cover on the inside thereof and on a line with the roller D, to support and receive the flexible door 0 when the same is raised. The roller D is journaled or supported at each end in suitable holes in the frame-pieces B B and E Eat the cornerthereof, and a small roller, D, is located over the roller D, to guide and turn the flexible door. The locking device c is a simple spring catch or hook adapted to engage a pin or staple, 0*, in the tail-board A, near the top edge thereof. 7

Any ordinary form of lock may be used, if desired.

The holding device 0 consists of a care or catch pivoted to the base-slat a near its end, in a suitable recess therein, the curved face of which bears against the face of the post B, and thus holds the sliding door in any desired position. The base-slat c of the door rests directly upon the tail-board A.

F is the seat, and H and H are verticallysliding wood-slat side protectors mounted in grooves h h, formed on the front posts, B, by ralobetsh therein and metal strips h secured thereto. These guide-grooves h and h extend under the top or roof partof the cover and overlap each other, as shown in Fig. 3, to give room for the two side protectors. The guides h and h in the curved horizontal part B of the frame-pieces of the cover are best formed by cutting grooves 'or channels therein. side protectors, II and H, are provided with handles or lips hflfor raising and lowering the same, and they may, if desired, be furnished with catches and holding devices similar to those shown in the door 0.

If desired, also, a vertical, sliding flexible front end protector similar to the one C at the rear may be provided just back of the seat F.

I hereby disclaim as not being of my invention the devices shown and described in Letters Patent No; 166,114, to Knight and Ripple, of July 27, 187 5 No. 230,328, to Chandler, of July 20, 1880, and No. 279,047, to Tucker, of June 5, 1883. I also hereby disclaim the device shown and described in Letters Patent No. 300,089, to Korizek, of June 10, 1884.

v I do not herein claim flexible wood-slat fabric per se, as I am aware that it has been used in desks, street-cars, and other places; nor do I herein claim any new or particular form of lock or fastening device. My invention consists in a new covered delivery-Wagon, the obj eot being to provide a covered delivery-wagon which maybe as seed rely and rigidly closed as if it were provided with the ordinary solid hinged door heretofore in use, and which at the same time will have none of the disadvantages of such hinged door, but may be as conveniently opened and closed as the ordinary cloth or leather rolled curtain, and be equally adapted to beleft only partially closed when it is desired that part of the load should project out of the rear end of the wagon.

I claim- 1. The combination, with a delivery-wagon body, A, having hinged tail-board A, of its cover B and cover-frame posts or pieces B, provided with rabbets or offsets b and strips b,

The.

secured thereto, and vertically-sliding flexible wood-slat door 0, having its base-slat 0 provided with a catch or locking device, 0 substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a delivery-Wagon body, A, having hinged tail-board A, of its cover B and cover-frame posts B, provided with rabbets or offsets b and strips 6, secured thereto, and vertically-sliding flexible woodslat door G, having its base-slat 0 provided with a catch or locking device, 0', and a holding device, 0 substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a delivery-wagon body, A, of its cover B and cover-frame posts or pieces B, and a vertically-sliding flexible wood-slat rear end door, 0, mounted in grooves or guideways b on said posts B, roller D, and horizontal guides or supports E, secured to the uprights B, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a delivery-wagon body, A, of its cover B and cover-frame posts or pieces B, and a vertically-sliding flexible wood-slat rear end door, 0, mounted in grooves or guideways b" on said posts B, rollers D and D, and horizontal guides or supports E, secured to the uprights B, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with a delivery-wagon body, A, of its cover B and uprights B and B", a vertically-sliding flexible wood-s] at rear end door, 0, mounted in grooves or guideways b on the rear uprights, B, rollers D and D, horizontal guides or supports E, secured to said uprights B, and vertically-sliding flexible woodslat side protectors,H and H, mounted in guidegrooves h and hin said uprights B, said guidegrooves extending along the horizontal part B of said framepieces B and overlapping each other, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, with a delivery-wagon body, A, of its cover B and uprights B, having rabbets b and strips b secured thereto, roller D, guides or supports E, and vertically-sliding flexible wood-slat door 0, havinga holding device, c consisting of a cam or curved catch pivoted to the base-slat of said door, and adapted to bear against the face of one of the uprights, B, substantially as specified.

JOHN T. MOLAUGHLIN.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND Ancoox. 

